254 THE FISHES OF NEW GUINEA, . 



279. Serranus Damelii. Gunth. 



Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1876, Vol. XVII.. p. 391. Casteln, 

 Proc. Linn. Soc., N. S. Wales, vol. 3, p. 365. 



" Keborria " of the natives. 



Mr. Goldie found this fish in fresh water at Normanby Island, 

 D'Entrecastreaux Group. It seems to me to be identical with our 

 black rock cod. 



Serranus Hoedtii, argus and urodelus, were also taken in or near 

 China Straits, but I do not number them as they have been already 

 recorded from other parts of New Guinea. 



280. Mesoprion marginipinnis. n. sp. 



D. 10/13. A. 3/7. L. lat. 50. 



The height of the body is about equal to the length of the head, 

 and is rather less than a third of the total length. The profile is 

 straight, the eye large, the snout is a little longer than the 

 diameter of the orbit, and the space between the eyes is about 

 equal to it. The maxillary reaches almost to the vertical from the 

 middle of the eye. The top of the head and the praeorbital are 

 scaleless, the prseoperculuin is finely denticulated, and has a broad 

 shallow notch above the angle ; the operculum is unarmed, and the 

 coracoid is serrated. The scales are small, adherent and ciliated. 

 The dorsal fin after the first spine is nearly uniform in height 

 throughout, the longest spine (the fourth) is in height rather less 

 than one-third of the height of the body, the second anal spine is 

 slightly thicker and about the same length as the third ; the 

 pectorals are slightly falcate and reach beyond the vent ; the caudal 

 is emarginate. The colour seems to have been silvery-grey, darker 

 on the back than on the sides and belly, the scales on the sides 

 seem to have had a pearly spot in the centre of each giving a 

 striped appearance to the fish; the dorsal fin has a deep black 

 margin along its whole length with the extreme tips of the rays 

 white, the caudal is blackish with white tips ; the other fins are 

 yellow. Length, 7 inches. 



Hab. — Normanby Island. Prom fresh water. 



